a city of Italy, in the province of Ancona, in the papal dominions. It is the see of a bishop, and contains a cathedral, five churches, seven monasteries, and five nunneries, and has 5000 inhabitants, whose chief occupation is making woollen and silk stockings. It is situated on the river Esino, about five miles from the Adriatic Sea, in a district rich in olives, wine, and mulberries.

JESSES, ribbons which hang down from garlands or crowns in falconry; also short straps of leather fastened to the hawk's legs, and so to vevels.

JESTING, or concise wit, as distinguished from continued wit or humour, lies either in the thought or the language, or both. In the first case it does not depend upon any particular words or turn of the expression. But the greatest fund of jests lies in the language, that is, in tropes or verbal figures; those afforded by tropes consist in the metaphorical sense of the words, and those of verbal figures principally turn upon a double sense of the same word, or a similitude of sound in different words. The third kind of jokes, which lie both in the sense and language, arise from figures of sentences, where the figure itself consists in the sense, but the wit turns upon the choice of the words.

JESUITS, or the Society of Jesus, a famous religious order of the Roman Catholic church, founded by Ignatius de Loyola, called also Ignatius Loyola. The plan which this fanatic formed of its constitution and laws was suggested, as he gave out, and as his followers still teach, by the immediate inspiration of heaven. But, notwithstanding this high pretension, his design met at first with violent opposition. The pope, to whom Loyola had applied for the sanction of his authority to confirm the institution, referred his petition to a committee of cardinals; and as they represented the establishment as not only unnecessary, but dangerous, Paul refused to grant his approbation. At last, however, Loyola removed all his scruples by an offer which it was impossible for any pope to resist. He proposed, that besides the three vows of poverty, chastity, and monastic obedience, which are common to all the orders of regulars, the members of his society should take a fourth vow of obedience to the pope, binding themselves to go whithersoever he should command them for the service of religion, and without requiring anything from the holy see for their support. At a time when the papal authority had received a severe shock by the revolt of so many nations from the Romish church; at a time when every part of the popish system was attacked with so much violence and success; the acquisition of a body of men thus peculiarly devoted to the see of Rome, and whom it might set in opposition to all its enemies, was an object of the highest consequence. Paul instantly perceiving this, confirmed the institution of the Jesuits by his bull, granted the most ample privileges to the members of the society, and appointed Loyola to be the first general of the order. The event fully justified Paul's discernment, in expecting such beneficial consequences to the see of Rome from this institution. In less than half a century, the society obtained establishments in every country that adhered to the Roman Catholic church; its power and wealth increased amazingly; the number of its members became great; their character as well as accomplishments were still greater; and the Jesuits were celebrated by the friends and dreaded by the enemies of the Catholic faith, as the most able and enterprising order in the church.

The constitution and laws of the society were perfected by Lainez and Aquaviva, the two generals who succeeded Loyola; men far superior to their master in abilities and in the science of government. They framed that system of profound and artful policy which distinguishes the order. The large infusion of fanaticism mingled with its regulations should be imputed to Loyola its founder. Many circumstances concurred in giving a peculiarity of character to the order of Jesuits, and in forming the members of it not only to take a greater share in the affairs of the world than any other body of monks, but also to acquire superior influence in the conduct of them.

The primary object of almost all the monastic orders is to separate men from the world, and from any concern in its affairs. In the solitude and silence of the cloister, the monk is called to work out his own salvation by extraor-